Religious tolerance

soon, you posted it because you assumed some here were in pain ,

Where did I say that that verse speaks of pain? It does not.

And if anyone is in pain it's you soon, I will hold you in my prayers

Dear God, taken out of context , soon are you a J W? they have perfected the pick and choose method of spreading THE GOOD NEWS,

That verse does not speak of pain , that's your interpretation .

So the fact that thousands of Jews who died in the war died in those camps because it was God's will ? People die in intense pain because it is Gods will?

soon, you are a danger to the teachings of Christ , you could empty churches faster than a whirlwind

Please from me too.

Please do not assume that because people question the bible that they are suffering in any way. Some simply have an intellectual curiosity about it, since it has had such wide influence.

Some, like me, are at peace with the "not knowing" when it comes to the big questions.

soontobe I don't think anyone is in pain. That is your interpretation because you want to be healing pain for them, whether they have any or not, by drawing them into your kind of christianity, even when they are perfectly happy with their own variety, or with none at all.

Anniebach has had sorrows in her life, but has resolved them, and her question to you was a rhetorical one - not one that needed you to find her a definitive (in your view) answer.

I think the other posters are getting on fine with their lives, and some of them just want a calm, brain-not-emotions-led discussion of points about religion.

What you want is be the one the monitor who hands out the copies of the rules and tells the class how you think they should interpret them and obey them - much as the Pope does for Roman Catholics.

I don't think anyone is at all keen on you doing that. Many people know more than you do about the Bible, about the life of Jesus and the history of the land he grew up in, about the other religions that preceded him and surrounded Judaism at the time, about the traditions he had been taught as a child by rabbis, about life in general.

You should stop trying to be a pastor to all of Gransnet. Please.

In pain??!!

As people seem to be in pain I will write this.

1 John 5 v 14-15
This part was written by John to Christians.
"And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him".

No-one is giggling soon - really.

I suppose that I am trying to get across that the brand of christianity that you espouse (and I defend your right to espouse it) can cause problems for others. Your what I would call simplistic (although others might not agree) approach ignores the inherent contradictions and ploughs on ignoring the subtleties and the spirit of the message. The result can be that the sort of implications outlined by Annie can be a problem.

You clearly believe very deeply in your chosen faith and your chosen interpretation of it, and that is fine. But I am just trying to suggest that this particular approach might put many people off, which is not your intention I am sure.

Annibach I don't know how you have managed to keep trying this long. You deserve a medal for endurance but in my past experience of soons desire to save us all. I found it easier to retreat from these discussions.

Libera me de morte aeterna.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmt9q7C0S_k

I am begining to wonder if Soon will soon be selling us indulgencies to pay off our sins before we die unrepentant.
She has certainly presented a new slant on my understanding of the doctrines of Methodism I imbibed for 20yrs.

"Soon" Will you be returning on the day of judgement or when you have finished you tea?

Not asking you to explain , asking for your opinion soon. I don't find Christianity tricky, I do find your interpretation of Christianity difficult to understand ,

Post to Anniebach.

I am not ignoring you granjura. I understand where you are coming from.

Your post is muddled. I could try and unmuddle it, but there is no way I want a repeat.

If you genuinely want me to explain things, it will have to be by pm.

Another time, anything that I deem tricky for anyone, to do with christianity, I will do by pm or not at all.
I would have liked that done at the beginning of this. Better all round.

If I was a Christian still (I was baptized and confimed)- I would understand God testing ME, even through pain, but never God testing me through the suffering of my children, never. Test ME, give ME pain- to test ME- not them, ever. This is just too cruel.

soon, I am troubled that you are so troubled. I just cannot get through to you . Can you not see your belief that God heals if prayers are powerful enough can be upsetting for people who have prayed yet their loved one died , or people who didn't pray could feel they could have saved a loved one if they had prayed . I accept and respect it is your belief and all I ask is that you accept such a sweeping statement can cause pain even though it was not meant to.

May I ask how long have you been a Methodist ?

x post.

Your first line asked me to tell you why they died, and again with your last post.
And I have given my answers.

I can start doing the "God heals through the power of prayer bit". I might another day, but you say you dont have a need, and if you did you would go the boss, so pointless me answering you directly in any case.

I can only assume that you are not going to reply to the "you avoid giving answers" bit, so pointless in me bring that up again.

I dont appreciate you giggling with Luckygirl in a wink wink way, but there we are.

I give up

Hpw do you know that they dont need her sympathy? You are not going to know the hidden needs of some. I would imagine that some of them are hugely grateful.

And surely that is not really a fault, let alone a sin.

Some people can be irritating, but do you know that what she is doing is not God's role for her?

soon, I did not have sons, I did not allegedly lose anyone, they are dead

I did not ask you to tell me why they died , I asked you why if as you claim God heals through the power if prayer did they die, can you not understand ?

It was not a question. The words "Tell me" are more like a demand.

Thank you for saying sorry.

It still doesnt explain your "you avoid giving answers" bit this morning.

She does it all the time to everyone soon based on a assumption that they need her sympathy - it drives us all nuts! The idea that we might hold a conversation as peers is lost on her.

Lucjygirl. Silly me for thinking that someone on the internet who has allegedly lost a husband and two sons might be in need if she asks me to tell her why it happened.

And silly on your friend if she is trying to help, and gets it a bit wrong. What a person. Tut tut at her. And now she has been talked about on the internet.

Know just what you mean Lucky

soon, yes I did , this was a question following your claim on people being healed by prayer, you thought I meant differently and I am sorry. I did explain this though. I am at peace with those bereavements soon